I usually name my reviews according to the movie, but the title was too long to fit into the box :)
Anyhuu, the first time I had heard about this film was while watching ’ITAS’.Unfortunately, the DVD rentals didn’t have it since it was a bit outdated.Finally, during my semester holidays this movie was found playing on ’Zee Studio’ and I managed to get hooked on to it immediately.
Two English Cartographers, Reginald Anson(Hugh Grant) and George Garrad(Ian McNiece) arrive at the Welsh village of Ffynnon Garw(fictional) to measure a ’mountain’ rightly named Fynnon Garw itself.They stay at an inn owned by ’Morgan the Goat’(Colm Meaney) who’s not very enthusiastic on letting in two ’Englishmen’.The entire rural place is abuzz with excitement over the two men measuring their beloved historic ’mountain’.The folk even start placing their bets on how high their ’moutain’ will be claimed to be.When the verdict comes out, the entire town is shocked to know that their esteemed ’mountain’ is only a mere ’hill’.On questioning Anson, the villagers come to know that their ’baby’ doesn’t come up to the required height of a thousand feet.Enraged at this frank word used by Anson & Garrad, ’Morgan the Goat’ decides to stall the two of them in his village till the people finish ’building up’ their ’hill’ to over a thousand feet.The village’s Reverend Jones(Kenneth Griffith) isn’t very keen to dismiss nature’s creation, but upon realising that Welsh reputation is already deteriorated through the war, he encourages the whole town to help themselves out in achieving this ’heavy’ task.’Morgan the Goat’ also appoints his friend, Betty(Tara Fitzgerald) to distract the two Englishmen.Betty on the other hand, has caught Garrad’s attention, but she’s got a liking for the shy bumbling Anson.As the village continue to boost Ffynnan Garw’s height, the people learn to stick together as a team while Anson realises he actually likes this strange Welsh place.
Watching this film seriously felt like having hot cocoa with your puppy while sitting at the fireplace.The feel-good factor is a maximum.Hugh Grant is absolutely charming.Ian McNiece portrays the lazy Garrad very well.Colm Meaney is excellent here & one can feel his free-spirit through the television set.The actors who play the other villagers are all up to the mark.Infact, I’ve seen them in many other Welsh movies(I don’t remember the names, sorry).Tara Fitzgerald is cute & her characterisation of Betty is naive & simply heartwarming.The screenplay and direction deserve a 10/10.
One can identify themselves within each character and this makes the film really stand out.
Final grade- A+, watch it as a Hugh Grant classic
PS- Extra info sought out from https://wikipedia.org